Multiple-needle sewing-machine.



u. E. MOLYNEUX a; e. s. G ATCHELL. MULTIPLE NEEDLE scwms momma.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I9. 19%. 1,266,036 Patented May 14, 1918.

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Zzi wig G. E. MOLYNEUX A: G. S. GATCHELL. MULTIPLE NEEDLE SEWING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED jun rs. ISIS.

1 ,266,03 6. Patented May 14, 1918.

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14 4a a A 8 2 z 46 r/ if I i f I f} I Q e 5? 6 g (O) WITNESSES. INVENTOR 1 %z; e I Y ATM/M D NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO THE SINGER MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

RATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MULTIPLE-NEEDLE SEWIN G-MACHIN E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14:, 1918.

Application filed July 19, 1915. Serial No. 40,564.

'1 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE E. Mom'- NEUX and Gnonon S. GATCHELL, citizens of the United States, residing respective] at Bayonne, in the county of udson and state of New Jersey, and Roselle Park, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiple-Needle Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in multiple needle sewin machines and it has for its object to provi e a machine especially adapted for uniting the abutted edges of cut knit/goods pieces in one'operation, the seam bein that illustrated in the patent to Munsing, ilo. 506,524, of October 10, 1893, an additional needle being added, in the present instance, to form an additional row of stitches, the needles and looper coacting in the same manner asthose shown and described in the aforesaid atent.

In the emplo ment 0 a single looper in conjunction wit the multiple needles when running at high speed the needle-loops present a problem in t at there is a tendency in a three-needle machine of the third and sometimes the second needle-loop to deflect out of the path of the loo er, causing these machines to sometimes skip stitches. This difliculty increases with the addition of one or more needles to such an extent that the problem of overcoming the detrimental tendcncy above referred to becomes vital to such an increase in the number of needles. In producing a seam by a multiple needle single loopcr machine, the looper-loop is projected through the loops thrown out by the needles and when the needles descend they pass down beside their respective previously formed loops and into the looper-loop. As the needles continue their down-stroke they tend to draw up or contract the previously formed needle-loops shed by the loopcr, but owing to the fact that one limb of the looperloop is detained by the descending needles the contracting needle-loops tend to draw the detained limb of the looper-loop into a zigzag course causing it to rccveuround the needles and through the needle-loops as the ridge, in each case,

latter are being drawn up. With an increase in the number of needles it becomes more and more difiicult to fully draw up the needle-loops nd produce a sightly and propcrly formed scam by means of thread-com trolling mechanisms heretofore known While subsequent to the machine of the aforesaid patent several four-needle machines were originated for seaming the abutted edges of knit garments in one operation, the originators of these later machines avoided the problem overcome by the present improvements and employed multiple loopers. Multiple looper mechanisms are disadvantageous because they require unnecessarily large amounts of thread and the seams produced are objectionable because of the formed by superposed looper-threads t the center line. The pres ent improvements provide effective means for variably controlling the four needle loops, so that immediately prior to bein seized by the looper each loop is reduced to a predetermined size, it having been robbed of excessiv thread during its process of formation, for maintaining the ncedledoops snugly about the loopcr durin its receding movement, so that the needle oops will remain evenly spaced apart and assume positions each at one side of itsrcspective des'ccudin needle,and for quickly taking up the nee lc-loops in succession as they are shed from the looper, whereby excessive reeving of the looper-thread about the needles and needle-loops is avoided and whereby the needle-loops may be readily and fully taken up without subjecting the needle-threads to excessive strains. The details of the improvements will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side s ctional elevation of a sewing machine embodyin the first form of the improvcmcnts, and higs. 2, 3 and 4; are detail. perspective views of the latter illustrating the manner of their operation. Fig, 5 is a front elevation of a sewing "1a" chinc embodying llufirst form of the insprovcments. Fig. 6 is u side elevation of a machine embodying the second form of the improvements, and Fig. 7 is a nlnn view of the some. FILE. 8 is a sectional plan, of the machine on the ,hue 8-8, Fig. (3. F gs.

9 and 10 are detail views, largely diagrammatic, illustrating the operation of the second form of the improvements.

The im rovements are shown applied to a machine ormed with the base 1, standard 2 to which is secured by screws 2" the end flange 3 of the tubular work supporting arm 4, the standard having extended from its tubular end the overhanging tubular arm 5 terminating in the hollow head A. Jour naled within and crosswise of the standard is the mainshaft 7 which is provided with the needle actuating crank 8, looper actuating eccentrics 10 and 11, feed actuating eccentric 12 and feed. lift eccentric 13.

The needle-bar 14, carrying four needles, derives its operative movements from the crank 8 through the pitnfan 16, crank-arm 17 on the rock-shaft 18, and crank-arm 19 on said rock-shaft connected with the needlebar by means of the link 20, in a manner well known. The looper carrier 21, carry ing the looper 22, is pivotally mounted upon the looper supporting rockhaft 23 journaled within and axially of the work-supporting arm 4 and deriving its rocking movements from the eccentric 10 throug the eccentric-rod 24, plural-armed rocker 25 and link connection 26 with the crank 27 upon said rockshaft, as shown and described more fully in Molyneux Patent No. 1 ,127 ,0 67, of February 2, 1915. The sidewise movements of t e looper are derived from the eccentric 11 throu h the eccentric rod 28 pivotally connecte with the endwise-movable bar 29 journaled in the'arm 4 beneath the looperesupporting rock-shaft and having a sliding and, pivotal connection with the looper carrier similarly to that of the said patent. The two diflerentially-movable feedmg members and the mechanism for actuatin the same shown in the drawings, are in y described in Molyneux application filed June 5, 1915, Serial No. 32,269; and the thread carriers T and their actuating mechanism form the subject of Molyneux application filed of even date herewith.

The needle-threads are led from the source of supply to suitable tension devices indicated at 't in the drawings and thence pass through apertures formed in two rigid guide-members between "which a series of spring-fingers coast with the take-up arm on the needle-bar to control the needlethreads, including the sizes of the needlen the first form of illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the first rigid guide-member is the vertically dis posed arm 30 formed witha depending supporting post fitted within a suitable aperture for-me in the head A oi the overhanging arm 5. fter passing through the four horizontally disposed apertures in the arm 30, the tizreztd is led through the similarly-arthe improvements ranged apertures formed in take-up arm 31 secured upon the upper end of the needlebar 14 by means of the screw 32; the thread then passing over the cross-bar 33* of a bracket 33, formed with a slot at 31 to receive a stud 35 tapped into the head A, as shown in Fig. 5. From the cross-bar 33* the thread is led through a series of apertures to mod in the bracket 33 in an inclined line, thence passing to the needles.

Secured upon a block 36 by means of the sctscrews 37, and normally lying in horizontal position below the guide-arm 30 and take-up arm 31 are four spring-fingers a, b, c, d, each finger lying within a vertical slot formed in a stop-plate 38 formed with an oft-set depending base slotted to receive the set-screw 39 by means of which the stopplate is adjustably secured upon the head A. The slots formed in plate 38 are of gradually increasing depths, so that by the end walls of the more shallow slots the spring-fingers are stopped at a higher elevation than are those. positioned in the deeper slots. The end of each fin er lies intermediate the crossbar 33 and t e inclined apertures in the bracket 33, and is apertured to receive a needle-thread for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

When the needle-bar reaches its hi hest position the-spring-fingers a, b, c and are elevated above the end'walls of their respectivestop-slots by the pull on the threads caused by the take-up arm 31, as shown in Fig. 4. As the needle-bar descends the spring-fingers take up the needle-thread and prevent'the formation of slack thread between the needle-eyes and the work. As the needle-eyes double their res active threads below the work the sprin ngers are elevated and give up the thread required by the descending needles. After the needle 11 has entered the looper-loop the previous nee leloop is shed or released by the looper, where upon the spring finger a immediately drops sufiiciently to pull the released thread back through the eye of the needle, thereby taking up the loop previously formed by the needle n. This is readily accomp ish since the loo er-thread has not been deflected into a', zigzag course by contraction of the other needle-loops. In the same manner the loops previously formed by the needles n, 1t. and n are shed by the looper and successively drawn up by the spring-fingers b, a and d, respectively. As,the needles reach their lowest position the spring fin gers a, b, 0, d, are elevated from their normal' position in contact with the low T walls of the slots in stop-member 38, to the position shown in Fig. 2, by the action of the needles in pulling upon the threads leading to the inclined series oi guide apertures in the bracket 33 and the action of the take-up arm in pulling the threads over the crossbe seized by the looper.

bar 33*. It is obvious that as the needle-bar rises, the spring-fingers a, b, 0 and of take up or steal thread from the nascent needleloops until the eye of the needle n reaches a position slightly below the path of the advancing looper. At this time the springfinger tZ reaches the bottom of its stopslot and the needle it, throws out a thread-loop of proper size to By the time the needle n has reached a similar position, slightly below the looper-path, the spring finger c has reached the bottom of its stopslot and the needle n presents its loop to the looper. The sizes of the loops thrown out by the needles n and 'n are controlled in the same manner.

After all of the needle-loops have been seized by the looper it becomes necessary to maintain them in proper position on the looper i that in the succeeding descent of the modes from the position shown in Fig. 4 they will pass to one side of their previously formed loops and will properly engage the looper-loop. To this end as the needle-bar continues to rise the take-up arm 31 reaches a point above the cross-bar 33* at which it begins to pull upon the threads isading to the spring-fingers so that the atter are elevated until the needle bar reachesthe limit of its riSe and assumes the osition shown in Fig. 4. Thus the needle loops are held snugly about the looperblade throughout the rise of theneedles, and during the descent of the needles the spring fingers descend also to maintain the needlethiead closely under control until the needies have'passed down beside their previou ily formed loops and into the looper-loop. If the needlethreads are allowed to slacken during the descent of the needle, the needleloops about the looper will be loosened to such an extent that there is danger of their assuming non-uniformly spaced positions along the looper blade, with the result that the descending needles may not properly pass their needle-loops. If the needles are arranged close together, as is particularly desirable in a four-needle machine, it is esscntial that the needlethreads be kept closely under control as the needles descend.

In the second form of the improvements the thread is relieved from the strain imposed upon it in elevating the spring-fingers as hereinbefore described, and such. strain is thrown upon a series of cam-rollers which positive} lift the fingers at the proper times an subquently permit them to descend to their normal position.

As shown in Fig. 7, the thread controlling ed upon a pin 44 fitted in suitable apertures formed in the spaced upwardly-extending arms 45 of a bracket 45 secured upon the upper face of the overhanging arm by means continuing to rise,-

. gearwhee ward, the cam-rollers of the screws 46. The arms 45* of the bracket also serve as bearing members for a cross-shaft 47 which carries four cam-rollers 48495051 and upon the upper surface of each roller rests the bearin disk A: of the thread controlling finger w ich the roller actuates. Surrounding the hub h of each thread-controlling finger is a spring 52 which is secured at one end in a groove formed in the cross-bar 53 of bracket 45 and which is hooked at its opposite end to embrace the finger. It. will be understood that the series of springs serve to move the fingers downwardly when the cam-rollers permit such action.

Fixed upon one end of the shaft 47 is a gear-wheel 54 which meshes with a earwheel 55 on the upper end of u sha t 56 journaled near its upper end within a hearing member 57 supported by the bracket 45 and journaled near its lower and within a bearing boss 58 projecting laterally from the standard. At its lower end shaft 56 carries a gear-wheel 59 which meshes with 60 on cross-shaft 61.

In the second form of the im rovement the needle-threads are led from t e tension devices If to a rigid uide-bar 62 having longitudinally arranged thread-receiving apertures thence to the controller fingers and thence to a second rigid guide-bar 63 having longitudinally arranged thread r eiving apertures from which the threat" pass to the take-up arm on the needle-bar.

The thread controlling fingers 40-4-1- 42-43 act upon the thread in the same manner as those of the first form of the improvemcnts. As shown. in Fig. 9, the cam-rollers act upon the thread controlling fingers in such manner that immediately prior to the forward movement of the looper to seize the ncedledoops the fingers are held in elevated position, the degree of elevation of the successive fingers increasing from the fin er 43 to the finger 40. As the looper moves orpermit the fingers to descend under their spring impulses, and as the fingers 42--41 and 40 have successively longer paths of mwement the needle-loops farthest away from the looper are acted upon to the greater extent. If desired,-the cam-roller 51 may be' so formed, as not to affect the thread controlling finger 43, and hence-not to disturb the first needleloop, during'the l op seizing movement of the looper. After the looper has entered all of the needle-loops the cam-rollers act to raise the thread controlling fingers to the position shown in Fi ceeding descent of the needles the cam-rollers permit the fingers to move downwardly to' pull upon the needle-loops and thereby holdthem against deflection upon the looperblade, and to successively take up the needleloops as they are shed from the looper.

g. 6, and in the suc- It will he understood that various changes may he made in the form and arrangement of the elements herein shown and described without departing from the scope of the invcntion.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what we claim herein is 1. A sewing machine having a plurality of needles set in a plane crossing the line of feed, a single looper cooperating therewith to form stitches, thread-controlling devices adapted for differentially timed action upon the needle-threads, and thread-guides coiipcrating with said devices, said thread-controlling devices operating to take 1 substantially all of the slack thread ormed during the first part of the down stroke of the needles and to successively ti hten the needle-loops as they are shed rom the looper.

2. A sewing machine having a plurality of needles set in a plane crossing1 the line of feed, a single looper crossing t e line of feed and cooperating therewith to -form stitches, and independently actin devices adapted to closely control the need e-threads until the needles enter the loo er-loop, whereby the formation of slack t read is prevented during the first part of the down stroke of the needles, said devic being further adapted to successively tigi ten the needle-thread loops'as they are s ed from the receding lcoper.

3. A sewm machine having a plurality of needles set in a. plane crossing the line oi feed, a single looper crossing-the line of feed and coiiperating therewith to' form stitches, and successively actuated means 00- operating with said needles to tighten the nmdle-loo s successively as they are shed from the ocper.

4; A sewing machine having a plurality of needles set in a plane crossing the line of feed, esingle looper cooperating therewith to form stitche thread-controlling devices for the nee le-threads, three guides coiiperating with said devices, and means whereby sai devices are caused to move relative to said thread-guides to take up all of the slack thread formed during the first part of the descent of the needles and to successively tighten the needle-loops as they are she from the loo er during the continued descent of the ne les.

5. A sewing machine having a single looper and a plurality of needles set in a plane crossing the line of 'feed with the eyes disposed at pro ressively lower elevations beginning with t e needle nearest the oint of the advancing looper, and three -controlling means for the needle-threads acting to steal thread in progressively lesser amounts from certain of the nascent needleloops beginning with the last loop to be seized by the looper.

. therewith to form stitches,

6. A sewing machine having a plurality of needles set in a plane crossin the line of feed with the eyes of the need es at different elevations, a single looper coiiperating thread controlling means for each needle-thread, and means whereby said thread-controlling means are caused to reduce the sizes of certain of the needle-loops prior to their seizure by the looper and to successively tighten the needle-loops as they are shed from the 1 looper.

7. A sewing machine having a plurality of needles set in a plane crossing the line of feed with the eyes of the needles at different elevations, a single looper coiiperating therewith to form stitches, and means for stealing thread from certain of the nascent needle-loops and for successively pulling certain of the needle-threads back t rough the eyes of their respective needles to tighten the respective needle-thread loops successively as they are shed from the looper.

8. A sewingmachine having a plurality of needles set in a plane ,crossing the line of feed, a single looper cooperating therewith to form stitches, and means for simultaneously taking up the needle-threads during the first part of the down stroke of the needles, for successively giving up thread to the needles as the eyes thereof descend below the work, and for successively tightening the needle-loops as they are shed by the looper.

9. A sewin machine having a plurality of needles, a single looper coii' crating therewith to form stitches, three -engaging devices for the needle-threads, thread-guides cooperating with said thread-engaging de vices and means whereby said thread-engag ing devices are caused to move relative to said thread-guides to take up all the slack below the eyes of the descending needles, thereby maintainin the previous needleloops snugly about t e loo er, and to succcs sively tighten the needleoops as they are shed by the looper during the further descent of the needles.

10. A sewing machine having a plurality of needles set in a plane crossing the line of feed with the eyes of the needles at different elevations, a single looper cooperating therewith to form stitches, and independent thread-controlling devices for the needle-thread adapted for diflerentially timed actions upon their respective needlethreads to take up substantially'allof the slack thread below the eyes of the descendin needles,

whereby the needle-threads are closely controlled during the first part of the slack needles as the looper moves 11. A sewing machine having a plurality of needles set in a plane crossing the line of feed, a single looper coii 'icrating therewith to form stitches, and thread-controlling devices for the needle-threads each construct-- ed to act independently of the other devices to give up thread to its respective needle as the eye thereof descends below the work and to tighten its respective needle-thread loop as soon as it is shed from the retracting looper.

12. A sewing machine having a plurality of needles set In a plane crossing the line of feed, a single looper cotiperating therewith. to form stitches, and independently acting thread-controlling devices for closely controlling the needle-threads, each of said de vices being constructed to give up thread to its respective needle as the eye thereof do scends below the work and to reverse its actionnpon its respective needle-thread as the loop thereof is shed from the retracting looper, whereby the needle-loops are tightlened successively and the formation of slack thread is prevented.

13. A sewing machine having a plurality of needles set in a plane crossing the line of feed, a single looper crossing the line of feed and coiiperatin therewith to form stitches, thread-guides $01 the needle-threads, and thread-engaging devices adapted to execute successive take-up actions relatively to said thread-guides and cooperating with said needles to tighten the needle-loops successively as they are shed from the looper.

14. In a sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming mechanism including a ,plurality of reciprocating needles fixed relatively to one another, of a series of threadengaging arms one for each needletlnsad, and means for differentially movin the said thread-engagin arms for controling the nascent needleoops, and for controlling the slack thread during the first part of the down stroke of the needles.

15. In a sewing machine, the combination with stitch-formmg mechanism including a plurality of needles and a looper, of a series of thread-controlling arms, one for each needle-thread, means for elevating the said arms into position for action during the descent of the needles, and means adapted to stop the said arms in succession in their active descent during the upstroke 0f the toward loopseizing position.

16. In a sewing machine, the combination with stitch-formmg mechanism including a plurality of needles, of means for efiectlng the difi'erential control of the needle threadloops, including a series of sprin pressed thread-engaging-arms, and positive .y acting means for moving said arms, the degree of movement differing in successive arms.

17. In a sewing machine, the combination with a stitch-forming mechanism including a plurality of needles fixed relatively to one another, of a series of spring-pressed thread engaging arms, a stop adapted to hold the said arms in relatively different positions and mm; He to permit said arms to assume relativel linil'orin positions during the loop forming action of the needles.

18. In a sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming mechanism incuding a plurality of needles, of a series of springprt-sscrl flirted-engaging arms, a shaft, a series oi cams on. said shaft engaging the said arms, and means for actuating said shaft to impart dilferential movements to said arms.

19. in a sewing machine, the combination with stitclrtormmg mechanism including a plurality of needles, of a series of springprcsscd thread-controlling arms, eaclrarm engaging a .uccedlethrcad, a stop member adapted lo hold the said arms in relatively difi'ercnt heights, and means for lifting said arms to a predetermined position thereafter permitting the arms to move into engagement with the stop member and in such movement to withdraw thread from the necdleloops in amounts varying among the arms.

20. In a sewing machine, tire combination with stitch-forming mechanism including a plurality of needles and a loopcv, of a series of thread-controlling arms, one for each needlc-thread, a take-up device, means including said take-op device for elevating the said arms and for releasing the arms during the loop seizing movement of he looper, and a stop device adapted to stop the said arms ll] succcsslon.

in a sewing machine, the combination with stitclrformin r mechanism including a plurality of need es, a series of springpresscd thread-engaging arms, a stop device normally holding said arms in relatively difl'crcnt positions, a thrcad-guide intermediatc the said arms and the needles, a reciprocatory take-up arm, a thread-guide intermediate: the said take-up arm and the threadcontrolling arms, and means'for moving the take p arm downwardly during the descent of the needles and thereby exerting a pull upon the needle-threads to lift the threadcontrolling arms out of normal position whereby during the rise of the needles the said thread-controlling arms will descend to normal position and draw successively different amounts of thread from the needleloop.

22. In a sewing machine, the combinntir with stitch-forming mechanism including plurality of reciprocating needles fixed relatively to one anol her in a plane crossing the line of feed, a single looper cooperating therewith to form stitches, a series 01 thread engaging arms each engaging a needle-thread, and means for differentially moving the thread-engaging arms for controlling; the nascent neeclleloops, said arms being, adapted to impose a tension upon the needle-threads during the descent of the needles through the looper-loop.

23. In a sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming mechanism including it plurality of needles fixed relatively to one another and a. looper, of means for controlling the nascent. needle thread-loops, com prising a series ol spring-pressed arms, and means for i'l'l'ei-ling the movement of said arms to impose a tension upon the needlethi'ends during lhe descent of the needles.

24. A sewing machine having a plurality of needles set in a plane crossing the line of 1,2ae,osa

feed with the eyes of the needles at different elevations, a single looper cooperating therewith to form stitches, thread-guides for the needle-threads, and thread-engaging devices timed to execute differential take-up actions relatively to said threadguides to give up sleek thread to the needles successively as their eyes descend below the work, to tighten the needledoops successively as they are shed from the looper, and to thereafter give up thread required by certain of the needles in completing their down-strokes.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

GEORGE E. MOLYNEUX. GEORGE S. GATCH'ELL. 

